Right the reason for today's post is to answer a few Frequently Asked Questions. I get rather a lot of emails about my work, which I love to receive and I thought that it would be a good idea to put some of the questions up on my blog. A lot of the questions I get asked are about my Polychromos pencils, but I have added in a few general ones too that I get asked a lot. Now I just want to say, before I start, that I am not an expert when it comes to these pencils or card making for that matter, and I would never claimed to be one, but I do have a lot of experience with it all. All that I will say is this is just my opinion, and what I find best works for me, so if you find your way better, then that's fine with me.
1. What type of card do you use to stamp your images on?
A. The smoothest I can find, it helps with the blending process. Bristol board is one that I use a lot, but be warned it is not cheap. Any smooth card is good though.
2. What do you blend your Polychromos/Prisma Pencils with?
A. I prefer Sansodor, purely because it is easy for me to get hold off.
3. What do you use to blend the Sansodor with?
A. Paper stumps, I have a good selection of them, and I try to have one per colour, saves you keep filing them when you want to change colour and stuff.
4. What ink do you stamp with?
A I find for me personally, that Memento is good, but I sometimes use Stazon too.
5. How do you get the really smooth effect when colouring?
A. I blend my colour until I have removed all the pencil lines, I am a perfectionist when it comes to this and I have to remove them all, the smooth card helps loads with the blending process. I just blend and blend and blend LOL.
6. How long does it take to colour an image?
A. Bloomin' ages LOL, honestly, the colouring takes me a bit to do, cos I have to remove all the lines and stuff.......but its the best bit for me, so I really don't mind spending time doing it.
7. How do you get the gradual colour look on your image?
A. For me personally, I start with the lightest colour and them add the darker shades to it. Then I blend the line between the two colours until the line is gone.
8. How do you know where to do the shading?
A. I look at my image and decided where the light is going to come from, and then pretend on the image where the shadows would be cast. I change my light around loads depending on what images I use. For example when doing a Gorjuss Girl I always want the light on the right hand side, but a Magnolia image I alway have the light shining on the front.......don't ask me why, its just what suits me LOL.
9. Are Prisma's the same as Polychromos Pencils?
A. In my opinion, Yes. I have the full set of Poly pencils and have now started to collect the Prisma's too, but only because I want to wider my colour range even further. I use both types and mix them all the time, and I have not found hardly any difference between the too. They both work in the same way as each other. There are loads of different makes out there, I was quite surprised to be honest. My aim is one day have them all LOL........I wish!
10. Will you do a tutorial for us?
A. Just at the moment, I can not find the time to do one. I will one day sit down and see if I can put something together. In the meantime, why not have a look on You Tube, there are loads of tutorials on there that are good.
11. Do you choose your papers and then colour your image, or do you colour your image and then choose papers?
A. If I'm honest I do both, but mostly I choose my papers first, its easier for me. The times I colour an image and then can't find papers LOL.
12. Where do you get your charms and spacers from?
A. Most of them I get off EBay, but I am into jewellery making, so I pick up quite a few when I'm bead shopping and stuff.
13. How long have you been card making for?
A. I started about 10 years ago with stamping, then I moved to die cutting and now I am back to stamping, I just adore it. My poor die cutting machines, don't get to come out to play very often now a days, but I could never part with them. Before I started card making, I used to be a cross stitcher, but have never done anymore since the stamping bug took over. I also love to knit, and make jewellery too.
14. How many stamps do you have?
A. OMG, too many to count LOL! I don't think I dare count them, if I'm honest. I love to collect all different ones, my beloved collection of Magnolia's is rather large LOL, and grows by the week LOL.
15. Can I take inspiration from you work?
A. I am extremely flattered that people ask me this, of course the answer is yes, but all I ask is that you respect me and my work and do not copy it outright. As I have already said, it takes a lot of time and effort to complete my cards etc and so please do not copy them and then take credit for them. All of my work is covered by Copyright. I get inspired by lots of things, even my wall paper in the lounge LOL, so I have no problem with people feeling inspired by my work.
16. How do you find the time to make so many cards?
A. I ask myself that question all the time LOL, but I do believe if you are really really passionate and love something, which I do, you will find the time somehow. I burn the candle at both ends most days, and I have the bestest husband a gal could wish for, who never ever complains about the amount of time I spend crafting or the amount of money I spend on it either LOL {a few raised eyebrows at times, but that is about it LOL}.......I am truly blessed. We share other interests like gardening and our little family of pets, so he is happy. Leigh very often comes and sits in my crafty space with me and reads the paper LOL........so sweet!
17. When you have made a card with the large roses on, what do you put it in to send as they won't go in envelopes?
A. If it won't go in an envelope, which lets face it 99% of mine won't LOL, I always make a box. Now the box template I use is one that is in my head LOL, but it is basically like this one HERE, and I just alter the size to fit my card. I think this one is 3x3, and I normally make mine 6x6, as well I usually make mine about an 1inch thick too. {You don;t need a scor-pal to make it, just take the measurements and score with a ruler and scoring tool}
18. You made a card the other day with a little secret door, where did you get the catch from {HERE is the card}?
A. The little catch is a jewellery catch and I got it from my local bead shop ages ago. Check out bead/jewellery making websites and shops, its amazing what you find!
19. On your Christmas Eve Tilda Card {HERE} you have used a Holly Stamps and a Christmas Sentiment Stamp, by Magnolia, when will these be available to buy?
A. I got these stamps in my last DT kit with many other new collection stamps, I just assumed that they would be released with the New So Jolly Collection, but they have not been. The only thing that I can think of is they will be released later on as a supplement to main collection, .......please don't hold me to this though, as I DO NOT have any inside information on what is in each release, neither does any other DT member, we only know when our DT kits arrive.
20. Where can I buy a copy of MagnoliaInk Magazine?
A. There are a number of places that you can get the magazine from, here are a couple of them www.sirstampalot.co.uk and www.craftsulove.co.uk
21. You have made a couple of cards of late with a blue distressed paper with snowflakes on it, who makes that paper?
A. The paper is by Basic Grey and the collection is Blitzen - Jack Frost.
22. Do you use a mini sewing machine for your sewing?
A. I use a full size sewing machine, is a reasonable quality one, but it didn't cost the earth. I did have a mini one once, but it ran away with me and I just couldn't control it. Each to their own though, some may find them easy to work, but I didn't LOL. I wouldn't be with out my machine, love it!
23. What colour glimmer mist do you use?
A. I tend to stick to 2 colours, either iridescent gold or pearl, just purely because they go with everything. I do use tattered rose occasionally too when I am using pink flowers.
24. How do you get the glamour dust to stick to your roses?
A. I spray the rose with glimmer mist first, and then before it dries I sprinkle on the glamour dust. Now the glimmer mist is not a glue so it won't stick stick, if you know what I mean, but it stick enough to sit on a card :o)
25. What do you stick your roses and other embellishments on with?
A. I use silicone glue and I squirt it straight onto the card, place my roses on and then sink the pins into the wet silicone glue, then when the glue dries the pins are safely secured in. If sticking on gems or other fiddly bits I put a bit of silicone glue on a cocktail stick and it is less messy. I like silicone glue, cos it is not runny and dries clear.
26. When will the Magnolia Club Kit be sent?
A. Your guess is as good as mine, I have absolutely no idea LOL.....we are not told anything about the kit, they are a secret to us DT members, as they are to you......and to be honest I think that is how it should be, its a surprise for us all then LOL. I can't imagine it will be long, though :o)
Right I think that is it for know, I'm sure I will update this list over time and put a link to it in my tool bar so folks can refer back to it. As I said before this is just my opinion on what I feel works best, if you think your way is better then that's fine with me! Hope that you find this info helpful!
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